Excel Power Pivot MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to interact with Excel Power Pivot data models. Create and manage DAX measures, relationships, and more through natural language.

Features

• Workbook Discovery & Connection - Discover and connect to open Excel workbooks with Power Pivot data models
• DAX Query Execution - Run DAX queries and preview table data
• Measure Management - Create, update, and delete DAX measures with auto-formatting
• Relationship Management - Create, delete, and activate/deactivate table relationships
• Model Exploration - List tables, columns, measures, relationships, hierarchies, KPIs, and dependencies
• Data Profiling - Analyze column statistics (min, max, distinct count, nulls, sample values)
• Power Query Discovery - List Power Queries (M code) in the workbook
• Table Management - Add Excel tables to the data model, refresh tables/model

Requirements

• Windows 10/11 (required for Excel COM interop)
• Microsoft Excel 2013+ with Power Pivot enabled

Installation

Download the latest ExcelPowerPivotMcp.exe from the Releases page.

No installation required - just download and configure your MCP client.

MCP Client Configuration

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "excel-powerpivot": {
      "command": "C:/path/to/ExcelPowerPivotMcp.exe"
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to your Cursor MCP settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "excel-powerpivot": {
      "command": "C:/path/to/ExcelPowerPivotMcp.exe"
    }
  }
}

Antigravity (VS Code)

Add to your .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "excel-powerpivot": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "C:/path/to/ExcelPowerPivotMcp.exe"
    }
  }
}

Usage

1. Open Excel with Power Pivot

Open your Excel workbook that contains a Power Pivot data model.

2. Connect via MCP

The AI assistant will first discover and connect to your workbook:

AI: Let me discover your Excel workbooks...
→ discover_workbooks()
→ Found: MyModel.xlsx (hasDataModel: true)

AI: Connecting to your workbook...
→ connect_workbook(workbook_name: "MyModel.xlsx")
→ Connected!

3. Explore and Modify

AI: Let me see what's in your data model...
→ get_model_summary()
→ 5 tables, 12 measures, 6 relationships

AI: I'll create a new measure for you...
→ create_measure(
    tableName: "Sales",
    measureName: "Total Revenue",
    expression: "SUM(Sales[Amount])"
  )

AI: Don't forget to save!
→ save_workbook()

Available Tools

Connection

Tool	Description
discover_workbooks	Find open Excel workbooks with Power Pivot models
connect_workbook	Connect to a specific workbook
get_connection_status	Check current connection status
save_workbook	Save the connected workbook
refresh_model	Refresh the entire data model

Model Metadata

Tool	Description
get_model_summary	Comprehensive model overview
list_tables	List all tables with row counts
list_columns	List columns in a table
list_measures	List measures with expressions
list_relationships	Show table relationships
list_hierarchies	List user-defined hierarchies
list_kpis	List Key Performance Indicators
get_dependencies	Show calculation dependencies
list_power_queries	List Power Queries (M code)
list_excel_tables	List Excel tables (ListObjects)

DAX Queries

Tool	Description
run_dax	Execute DAX queries or preview table data
analyze_column	Get column statistics and sample values

Measure CRUD

Tool	Description
create_measure	Create a new DAX measure (supports autoFormat=false for speed)
update_measure	Update expression/name/description
delete_measure	Delete a measure

Relationship CRUD

Tool	Description
create_relationship	Create a table relationship
delete_relationship	Delete a relationship
set_relationship_active	Activate/deactivate a relationship

Table Operations

Tool	Description
add_table_to_model	[DESTRUCTIVE] Add Excel table to data model
delete_table	[DESTRUCTIVE] Delete a table from the model
refresh_table	Refresh a single table

Prompts

Prompt	Description
describe_model	Describe the data model in plain English
workflow_create_measure	Guided workflow to create a measure
workflow_analyze_model	Analyze model structure and suggest improvements
workflow_test_dax	Test DAX before creating permanent measures
workflow_fix_measure	Debug and fix a broken measure
workflow_add_relationship	Guided workflow to add a relationship
recover_connection	Recover from a lost Excel connection

Resources

URI	Description
model://schema	Current Power Pivot data model schema (JSON)
model://dirty-state	Check for unsaved changes
model://logs	Recent server diagnostic logs
model://instructions	Guidelines for working with Power Pivot
model://best-practices	Measure best practices guide
model://dax-guide	DAX query guide for Excel
model://workflows	Common workflow reference

Performance Tips

Fast Measure Creation

Use autoFormat: false to skip DAX formatting for faster measure creation (~1.5s savings):

{
  "tableName": "Sales",
  "measureName": "Quick Measure",
  "expression": "SUM(Sales[Amount])",
  "autoFormat": false
}

Limitations

Excel Power Pivot Limitations

These features are not available in Excel Power Pivot (unlike Power BI):

Feature	Excel Power Pivot
Calculation Groups	❌ Not supported
Perspectives	❌ Not supported
Row-Level Security (RLS)	❌ Not supported
DEFINE COLUMN in DAX queries	❌ Not supported

MCP Server Limitations

These exist in Excel but cannot be managed via this MCP due to COM API restrictions:

Feature	Status
Create/Update/Delete Calculated Columns	❌ Use Power Pivot window
Set Column Descriptions	❌ Use Power Pivot window

Troubleshooting

Error	Solution
"Excel is not running"	Open Excel with your workbook
"Workbook not found"	Ensure the workbook is open in Excel
"No data model"	Create a Power Pivot data model first
"Not connected"	Call connect_workbook first

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file.

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please open an issue or pull request.

Acknowledgments

• Model Context Protocol by Anthropic
• DAX Formatter by SQLBI